[EX-NY]

Originally Posted by RedWingsFan

A lot of the southeat area of the valley is not good. A lot of it is older, crime-ridden and just not desirable.

just curious but can you expand on that? where in the se valley are you talking about?

[azsk8fan]

Green Valley and Green Valley Ranch in Henderson is the best place to be!

[FlowerGirl]

Does anyone know anything negative about Green Valley or Green Valley Ranch area? I wanted to know what to look out for when buying a home there.

THANKS So Much!

[EX-NY]

Originally Posted by FlowerGirl

Does anyone know anything negative about Green Valley or Green Valley Ranch area? I wanted to know what to look out for when buying a home there.

THANKS So Much!

Aside from price? no not really Its a safe very clean area
1 negative I can think of is if you look at new homes out towards the foothills of the black mountains while they are still building they are blasting the mountain away and new home owners are having issues with damage to their new homes
its been an on going issue
and while they have a legit complaint, they also need to understand that in order to build their new home, there was blasting and someone else may have recieved damage
but thats close to the mountains
another thing to research would be the Home Owners Assoc look into what the "rules" are and dues some are strict and expensive others may be little or no trouble, I'm in Green Valley my HOA dues are 25 a quarter which is dirt cheap and until recently they never bothered anyone as long as you keep up your property
Good Luck

[melnper]

I completely agree with Bangladesh on the good and bad areas. Also, as far as the disputes on whether or not Southeast is good-I lived in that area near Boulder Hwy and Trop for 4 years. It was old, rundown (like most of the area around it) and it will take you a lot longer to earn equity in that area as opposed to Henderson or Summerlin areas. Also, be careful of flood zones in the Southeast. Before moving to the Northwest part of town almost 4 years ago, we were looking at the newer houses just east of Boulder Hwy. Glad we didn't choose that area. Many of the neighborhoods we were looking at flooded in the last year or so. Many people who aren't from here don't understand how Vegas can flood when we only have about 4" annual rainfall. But, it's because we have the flash floods and very poor drainage. This definitely isn't like California where the rain is absorbed by all the grass and trees.

[FlowerGirl]

Thanks EX-NY! Any trouble with pests of any kind? Like scorpions, snakes, black widows?

AND melnper Any flash floods in Green Valley or Green Valley Ranch?

Thanks

[MoMark]

Flowergirl, I lived in Henderson five years and I never saw a snake or a scorpion, but, I always had a black widow problem and was always careful to check before I'd place my hand somewhere I couldn't see. I had black widows in my lawn chairs (in the hollow legs), in the bushes, and often right by the sliding glass door leading to the backyard. I got familiar with their webs, which look like mangled crazy messes done by spiders on drugs. They are not beautifully symmetrical like other spiders, but crazily woven and easy to spot. Whenever you see a badly woven web with no symmetry, it's most likely a black widow. I'd find four to five a night near my patio and I never walked barefoot outside at night without the outside lights on and looking to make sure I didn't walk directly into a black widow web. I never had one in the house though. On the bright side, few flies, I never got even one mosquito bite the whole five years, and there are few other nasty insects other than cockroaches. Spiders are the big deal.

[melnper]

Flowergirl, I'm not sure about flooding in Green Valley. I would think the lower elevation in the valley, the greater the chance. However, even Northwest, where I am, there is a chance depending on the exact location. I would just try to find an honest realtor to steer you in the right direction. About the bug issue- I knew someone who lived in the central valley and had scorpions constantly. But, the neighborhood also had tons of palm trees. Palm trees are brought in from other areas and a lot of them have scorpions. I haven't seen a black widow in Vegas in about 10 years. We have no cockroaches in the house. But, those big water bug type will be outside everywhere. You just need to have a good pest control person spraying your property and those bugs will not get inside. And it's true about mosquitos. We are lucky enough not to have a problem with them because we don't have the climate they like to thrive in.

[FlowerGirl]

MoMark, Thanks so much!

melnper, Thanks to you. Do those water bugs bight? Do they fly? Also are they there only in the summer or year round? Sounds like a pest control person would help but I have two small kids that would play outside and I would want it to be safe and chemical free as much as possible for them.

Also does anyone know if it is possible to grow a little vegtable garden? Wonder if that would be hard in the heat and with any water restrictions.

Another thing is it sounds like you need air conditioning in your house in the summer. How expensive is that to run? Does anyone know if water misters would do a good job of cooling your house instead of air conditioning? And how about heat in the winter what is more expensive?

[MoMark]

Growing gardens is kind of tough in Las Vegas as far as I can recall. The soil is a very compact and almost cement-like caliche (which is why it doesn't absorb water well and Las Vegas floods so quickly in summer storms in the low-lying areas). It's very hard to stick a shovel into the ground, and, I'd think it would be easier to build a raised platform, like with crossed railroad ties or something similar, fill it with packaged soil from Lowe's or a nursery, and then grow your vegetables. Remember, water is expensive in Las Vegas and you'd have to water daily in the summer, but either in the early morning or evening when the sun won't burn the plants. Roses LOVE Las Vegas for some reason and some of the most beautiful roses I've ever seen grow there, usually on the eastern side of a wall or house where they don't get the hottest sun as it sets in the West. The cockroaches (some call them waterbugs) are ubiquitious, and there's not much you can do to keep them out, even if you spray. I also had grasshoppers occasionally. A young cat or two in the house keeps the bugs down as they eat them after playing with them. It's disgusting from a human point of view, but very practical As for air-conditioning, it's very expensive because power is expensive. I had a 2250sq. ft. two story house with all the bedrooms upstairs and of course I had to run the air-conditioner from April through about October. I tried the bit where you turn it off while at work, then on again when you come home, but doesn't really save money as all your belongings get hot, like clothes in closets, etc., and it takes all that energy to cool them off again to get the house cool. I'd leave it about 78F and still had bills over $300 in July and August. Ceiling fans or fans are necessities and really help. Sometimes in the summer the temperature can be 100F even at midnight, so you'll be using the air-conditioner a lot. Also, kids run in and out and the constant opening and closing of inside/outside doors can run the bill up. They have to be cognizant of the energy used too. Water misters wouldn't work in the house, all you'd have is a hot humidity and I've never heard of anyone using them inside. I hate them personally. Some restaurants and businesses with outdoor seating use them and they are the most freaking annoying contraptions... all they do is make you superficially damp, amplify the heat on you (which is bearable when it's dry if you're not in direct sun usually), and fog up your glasses or sunglasses. Also, not knowing where you're from, I want to also let you know that Las Vegas is not hot or warm all year round..In fact, Las Vegas gets downright freezing cold at times from November through March with freezing temperatures. A freezing winter day in Las Vegas with wind is a bone-chilling day let me tell you... The previous comment about scorpions and palm trees I've heard too, though I've never seen one. I had lots of palms in my yard around the pool, but they weren't the variety like one sees in Los Angeles, etc. These were much shorter and bushier. I trimmed them every six months because the fronds are razor sharp on the ends and can really do a number on you if you run into them. You'll read lots of opinions about Las Vegas and Henderson in this forum. I loved Henderson myself, never had crime issues, had decent neighbors with good parents who kept discipline of their kids (one time the neighborhood kids had a rock fight and the street was strewn with red rocks from the landscaping. I saw the kids mostly responsible, went to that house, spoke with the father, and half an hour later a very chastened couple of kids with bags picked up every single rock while dad watched! ) The schools are tricky from what I've heard, I don't know for sure. That might be a question to pose to those who have kids here as I know there are issues in some of them with gang violence,etc. I'd definitely not move a family to East Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, or Central Las Vegas anywhere near the Strip and older areas. The Southwest, Summerlin, Green Valley, and anywhere south of St. Rose Pkwy like Seven Hills or right by there in Silverado Ranch should be ok. I have friends who live off Maryland Pkwy south of Serene and that area is nice too. Best of luck!